


The Thinness at the End of Time

by TimeWarSnapShot



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (1963)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:55:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28375791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TimeWarSnapShot/pseuds/TimeWarSnapShot
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	The Thinness at the End of Time

He had hardly expected to find himself, yet there he was. Doubled over beside a cooling vent, struggling to remain upright even as he clutched a walking stick in his right hand. The Doctor studied the hand, or what it would become at least, gazing at the pink flesh as if unsure how it had ever become so soft. These things weren’t unheard of, he’d probably experienced his fair share of them, but had always assumed there would be a sense of weight to it. An urgency in finding oneself, be it future or past, separated only by the gulf of space rather than time.

The Doctor steadied himself against the cooling vent, vast industrial bulk of the surrounding machine casting his soft, aged features in deep shadow as he reached inside his traveling cape. Coughing into the hastily produced handkerchief with deep, rasping heaves that echoed around the cavernous space, testament to a thinness he had long since forgotten.

“Whits wrong wae him?” Jamie asked, joining the Doctor at the edge of the walkway, peering between the man and the chasm separating the two. His growing fear within the machine vanishing, transformed into concern for the man. Loyal and protective of the Doctor even before they had met.

“He’s dying.” the Doctor smiled softly, guiding Jamie back into the shadows of the acrid machinery as his other self regained his composure. Faint memories of blurry eyes struggling to focus on the space they now stood bubbling up, convinced he was being watched and then convincing himself he was a doddering old fool. He knew the truth now.

“Can we help him?” Jamie asked with the compassionate intensity seen in those unfortunate youth who knew all too well the injustices of death. “Is it the machine? A could take him back the way we came in...”

“It’s age Jamie, nothing more. Time’s catching up with him and even he’s starting to realise it…” The girl appeared behind his other self, Doctor’s throat hitching as he remembered what came next. Small, pale hands attempting to support him only to be cast away in a burst of indignant anger. A petulant attempt to reject the reality accepting her kindness would have ushered in.

“Aye,” Jamie watched the man storm off, mood souring as the dark haired girl trailed after him. “Aye, well, he’s a mean old goat anyway. Had an uncle like that, widnae let any of us help him, even at the end.”

The Doctor watched mutely as his other self vanished out of sight, moving deeper into the heart of the machine. Poor, dedicated Dodo determined to help him regardless of how he behaved. She knew, of course she did, how could she not. She’d seen it, the thinness eating away at him, accepted it even before he did. In time there would be apologies, aboard the ship, when the machine had been dealt with, but before that? Silence, anger and the thinness at the end of time.

“Please, Jamie. Forgive him, he doesn’t...didn’t mean it. He’s just afraid.”


End file.
